1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manual input device with a force feedback function and a vehicle-mounted control device using it, and more particularly to technology for multifunctionalization of their input means and consolidation of those multiple functions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Already according to the prior art, there are known manual input devices with a force feedback function input means whose knob is enabled to cause the operator to sense resistance and provided with a thrust according to the quantity and direction of its manipulation to ensure its accurate manipulation by enabling the operator to well feel its reaction to the manipulation.
FIG. 12 illustrates a known example of manual input device of this kind. This manual input device consists of a rotary knob 101, a detecting means 102 for detecting the quantity and direction of the rotation of the rotary knob 101, an actuator 103 for loading the rotary knob 101 with an external force, a control unit 104 for taking in a detection signal a supplied from the detecting means 102 and generating control signals c for the actuator 103, a D/A converter 105 for digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion of the control signal c supplied from the control unit 104, and a power amplifier 106 for obtaining drive power for the actuator 103 by amplifying the control signal c converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter 105. The control unit 104 consists of a CPU 104a and a memory 104b, and in the memory 104b are stored control signals c matching different detection signals a in a table form. The CPU 104a takes in the detection signal a from the detecting means 102, reads a control signal b matching the detection signal a that has been taken in out of the memory 104b, and supplies it to the D/A converter 105.
As the actuator 103 is thereby driven and enabled to apply a force feedback to the rotary knob 101 matching the quantity and direction of its manipulation, this manual input device enables the operator to well feel its reaction to the manipulation and accordingly to manipulate the rotary knob 101 accurately.
Manual input devices of this kind are used as by-wire type gear shift units for vehicles and functional adjustment apparatuses for various vehicle-mounted electric appliances including the air conditioner, radio, television, CD player and car navigation system.
When used as a gear shift device, the force feedback function that the manual input device is provided with is used as a locking means for enabling the driver to sense a click in changing the shift lever from one range to another, and thereby to forbid inappropriate manipulation of the shift lever from one specific range to another, for instance from the P (parking) range to the R (reverse) range or from the D (drive) range to the second speed range. Or when used as a functional adjustment apparatus for vehicle-mounded electric appliances, the force feedback function that the manual input device is provided with would be used for facilitating fine tuning of functions by enabling the rotary knob 101 to cause the operator to sense resistance or providing an appropriate thrust to the rotary knob 101 thereby to make its manipulation lighter. Further, the detection signal a can be used as a shift signal for the transmission to enable the gear engagement of the transmission to be changed according to the range shifting of the shift lever.
While the foregoing description referred to a case in which the manual input device is equipped with a rotary knob 101, a manual input device provided with a joystick type knob swingable in two-dimensional directions in place of the rotary knob 101 and one with a lever type knob swiveling within a fixed plane are also known.
However, no manual input device provided with a plurality of knobs, each placed under force feedback control, has been proposed so far, leaving room for multifunctionalization of manual input devices and consolidation of those multiple functions.
For instance, where the manual input device shown in FIG. 12 is to be applied as a functional adjustment apparatus for vehicle-mounted devices, as there are many vehicle-mounted devices involving diverse functions to be adjusted, trying to adjust the functions of all the vehicle-mounted devices with a single rotary knob 101 would rather adversely affect the operatability and be likely to invite more errors in operation. However, if a plurality of manual input devices are arranged in parallel on a vehicle-mounted device control unit, the manual input device will occupy a greater installation space, inviting another problem of a bulky and more costly vehicle-mounted device control unit.
An object of the present invention, attempted to solve the problems noted above, is to provide a compact and low-cost manual input device improved in operatability and multifunctionality and a compact and low-cost vehicle-mounted device control unit provided with a manual input device of this kind, also improved in operatability and multifunctionality.
According to a first aspect of the invention, in order to solve the problems noted above, there is provided a manual input device comprising a plurality of concentrically arranged knobs; one force feedback actuator for loading the plurality of knobs with an external force; a plurality of power transmission mechanisms, connected between the plurality of knobs and the force feedback actuator, for individually transmitting drive power supplied from the force feedback actuator to the plurality of knobs; and a plurality of detecting means for individually detecting the manipulated states of the plurality of knobs.
Equipping the manual input device with a plurality of knobs in this way enables the plurality of knobs to be used in a differentiated manner according to the device or the function to be adjusted, resulting in improved operatability and multifunctionalization of the manual input device. The concentric arrangement of the plurality of knobs makes possible consolidation of knob installation spaces and accordingly a reduction in the size of the manual input device. Furthermore, if the configuration is such that an external force for force feedback is selectively loaded from a single force feedback actuator onto each knob via a pertinent power transmission mechanism, the configuration of the manual input device can be made more compact than where a force feedback actuator is provided for each knob, resulting in reductions in size and cost of the manual input device and accordingly in power saving.
In a manual input device according to a second aspect of the invention, as the plurality of knobs in the first means for solving the problems, a joystick type knob and a rotary knob are concentrically provided.
Equipping the manual input device in this way with two kinds of knobs, manipulated differently from each other, prevents one kind of knob from being mistaken for the other kind of knob. Therefore, wrong manipulation of knobs is avoided, resulting in improved operatability of the manual input device. Furthermore, because a joystick type knob permits adjustment of multiple functions with a single knob, the manual input device can be multifunctionalized with a small number of knobs.
In a manual input device according to a third aspect of the invention, as each of the power transmission mechanisms in the first means for solving the problems, there are provided a clutch, a clutch change-over switch and a clutch change-over actuator operated by the switch.
Equipping as each of the power transmission mechanisms a clutch, a clutch change-over switch and a clutch change-over actuator operated by the switch in this way makes it possible to switch the power transmission path from the force feedback actuator to each knob by merely manipulating the clutch change-over switch, resulting in improved operatability of the manual input device.
In a manual input device according to a fourth aspect of the invention, a control unit for controlling the force feedback actuator in accordance with a signal from the plurality of detecting means is integrally provided within a case constituting the manual input device.
Providing the control unit of the force feedback actuator in this way integrally within the case constituting the manual input device eliminates the need to alter external devices, and accordingly facilitates the application of the manual input device to the external devices.
In a manual input device according to a fifth aspect of the invention, a control unit for controlling the force feedback actuator in accordance with a signal from the plurality of detecting means is provided in an external device operated with the plurality of knobs.
Providing the control unit of the force feedback actuator in this way in an external device makes the control unit dispensable for the manual input device, and therefore makes it possible to reduce the size, and accordingly the cost, of the manual input device.
In a manual input device according to a sixth aspect of the invention, as the plurality of power transmission mechanisms in the first means for solving the problems, there are at least a first power transmission mechanism for transmitting drive power from the force feedback actuator provided for one of the plurality of knobs; a second power transmission mechanism for transmitting drive power from the force feedback actuator provided for another of the plurality of knobs; a first clutch plate fitted to a drive shaft of the force feedback actuator to be slidable in an axial direction; and a clutch change-over actuator for sliding the first clutch plate, wherein the first power transmission mechanism is provided with a second clutch plate capable of being coupled to the first clutch plate, wherein the second power transmission mechanism is provided with a third clutch plate capable of being coupled to the first clutch plate, and wherein the coupling between the first clutch plate and the second clutch plate or the third clutch plate is changed over by having the clutch change-over actuator slide the first clutch plate.
Providing power transmission mechanisms in this way makes it possible to selectively give drive power from the force feedback actuator to the plurality of knobs, resulting in improved operatability of the manual input device.
In a manual input device according to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the sixth means for solving the problems, a joystick type knob is provided as one of the plurality of knobs and a rotary knob as another of the plurality of knobs.
Equipping the manual input device in this way with two kinds of knobs, manipulated differently from each other, prevents one kind of knob from being mistaken for the other kind of knob. Therefore, wrong manipulation of knobs is avoided, resulting in improved operatability of the manual input device. Furthermore, because a joystick type knob permits adjustment of multiple functions with a single knob, the manual input device can be multifunctionalized with a relatively small number of knobs.
In a manual input device according to an eighth aspect of the invention, as the plurality of knobs in the seventh means for solving the problems, the joystick type knob and the rotary knob are concentrically disposed.
Arrangement of knobs in this way makes possible consolidation of knob installation spaces and accordingly a reduction in the size of the manual input device.
According to the invention, there is also provided a vehicle-mounted device control unit having an electric appliance selection switch for selecting an electric appliance whose function is to be adjusted and a manual input device for adjusting a function possessed by the electric appliance selected by the selection switch, wherein the manual input device has a plurality of knobs arranged concentrically, one force feedback actuator for loading external forces onto the plurality of knobs, a plurality of power transmission mechanisms, connected between the plurality of knobs and the force feedback actuator, for individually transmitting drive power supplied from the force feedback actuator to each of the plurality of knobs, and a plurality of detecting means for individually detecting manipulated states of the plurality of knobs.
Equipping the vehicle-mounted device control unit with electric appliance selection switches for selecting the electric appliance whose function is to be adjusted, functional selection switches for selecting the function to be adjusted of the electric appliance selected by the appliance selection switch, and a manual input device for adjusting the function selected by the functional selection switch in this way enables a single vehicle-mounted device control unit to centrally accomplish functional adjustment of many electric appliances, thereby facilitating the functional adjustment of various vehicle-mounted electric appliances and enhancing the safe drive performance of the vehicle. Further, if the vehicle-mounted device control unit is provided with a manual input device having a plurality of knobs, it is possible to use the plurality of knobs in a differentiated manner according to the device or the function to be adjusted, resulting in improved operatability and multifunctionalization of the vehicle-mounted device control unit. Moreover, concentric arrangement of the plurality of knobs would make possible consolidation of knob installation spaces and accordingly a reduction in the size of the vehicle-mounted device control unit. Furthermore, if the configuration is such that an external force for force feedback is selectively loaded from a single force feedback actuator onto each knob via a required power transmission mechanism, the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device control unit can be made more compact than where a force feedback actuator is provided for each knob, resulting in reductions in size and cost of the vehicle-mounted device control unit and accordingly in power saving.